Emulsifier



n. H.' SITEVENS.

EMULSIFIER. I APPLICATION FILED MAR. I1, 1920.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

Indian-6am M Qdm ROBERT E. srEvEE's, or mncnmon'r, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NORr0 STEVENS BROTHERS,

OF NEW Y0 EMULSIFIER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

Application filedMarch 11, 1920. Serial No. 365,099

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Larchmont, in the county of Westchester and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Emulsifiers,of which the following is a specificat-ion..

The invention relates to apparatus for intimately mixing or combiningvarious ingredients or. materials in producing emulsions, and the objectof the invention isto provide an apparatus of this character in whichthe operations of preparing the rough mixture, emulsifying, and coolingthe emulsion,

are all performed in the same vessel or container.

Another important object is to provide means for traversing andreturning the mixture through the zone of agitating action and formechanically breaking up the moving mixture into minute particlesthereby insuring the production of a smooth stable emulsion. Y

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction andarrangement'of parts, in conjunction with the method of operation, bywhich the above objects are attained, to be hereinafter described andclaimed.

The accompanying drawings form a partof this specification and show anapproved form of the apparatus.

Figure 1 is an axial vertical section of the improved apparatus, partlyin elevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a plate employed to promote the mingling of themixed n1aterials.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through a portion of the apparatus, takenon the line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

'Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

A is a cylindrical container having at the upper end transverse beams B,only one of which is shown, supporting a frame C in which are verticalbearings C C. The upper bearing C is arranged to suspend a verticalshaft D extending axially downward into the container and equipped atits lower end with an agitator D preferably in the form of a screwpropeller.

On the shaft D between the bearings C C is a beveled gear-wheel D inmesh with a beveled gearwheel E on a horizontal radireceived in suitablesockets G in a circular plate Gr resting upon the bottom ofthe'container.

From the upper contracted end of the shell F extends a cylindrical tubeH forming a continuation of the shell.

Inclosing the lower portion of the container and extending nearly to thetop thereof is a casing J closed at the upper end and joined to thecontainer, forming a jacket for the latter and having inlet and outletorifices J J 2 through which a heating or a. cooling medium may becirculated through the jacket to raise or lower the temperature of thecontents of the container as required during the emulsifying process.

Brackets J J on the casing J provide means for mounting the whole uponbeams or other supports, not shown.

.The plate G is shaped'to' conform to the dished bottom of the containerand carries a plurality of concentric series of lugs or interruptedvertical ribs G having their upper edges in the same horizontal plane,forming a multiplicity of barriers or bafiies with the lugs of oneseries opposite the spaces between the lugs of the succeeding series,and thus producing staggered paths from the center to the periphery. Atthe center is an opening 9 in communication with a centrally locatedpipeKextending downwardly water, a parts of soap, and? parts of parafinwax. The water is first supplied and heated by the admission of steam tothe jacket until the temperature of the water is raised to between 20and C. above the melting point of the wax; agitation is then commencedby rotating the propeller, and the soap added and mixed with the wateruntil dissolved therein; while still agitated, the wax is introduced ina molten condition and the agitation continued for a suflicient time, asfrom fifteen to thirty" minutes. After such period of continuousagitation the temperature is lowered by the introduction of a coolingmedium to the-jacket until the temperature of the mass is-reduced toabout 5 C. below the melting point of the wax. The process is thencomplete and the emulsion discharged through the pipe K.

The propeller is turned inthe direction to induce a rapid downward flowthrough the shell F, and the effect of the stationary vanes F is toconunteract the tendency of the stream of liquid passing through theshell, to rotate or swirl, the action bein fully set forth in LettersPatent to Alfred Stevens,

' dated Feb. 12, 1918, No. 1,255,944, and by driving the propeller atthe proper rate of speed the liquid mass is caused to strike upon theplate G in a direct column-like stream without eddies or rotarymovement.

Upon striking the plate G the liquid mass escapes circumferentially inall directions through the space between the skirt of the shell and theplate, and is subdivided into a number of lateral streams which followthe devious paths between the concentrically arranged staggered lugs Gthe effect of which is to break up the soap and wax into infinitesimalparticles so small as to remain in fixed mechanical suspension in thewater, and so coated or isolated as to preclude subsequent combinationor coalescence.

The agitated mass rises in the annular space exterior to the shell,enters the tube H and is again driven downward in a stream against theplate G and the operation continued until the mixture. is homogeneousand satisfactorily emulsified.

Modification may be made in the forms and proportions of the parts asmay be found necessary or desirable in the treat-- ment of variousmaterials, without departing from the principle of the invention, andthe structure of the plate 'G may be varied to conform to the action ofagitators differing in type from the screw propeller D forth, acontainer means to agitate and induce an axially directed stream in thecontents of said container, .and means located in the path of suchaxially directed stream and at substantially right angles thereto, tobattle the outward movement of such stream.

3. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a container, meanstherein to agitate contents of said container, and a multiplicity ofbattles located in the path of such streamand arranged in a plurality ofconcentric circles.

5. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a container, agitatingmeans therein adapted to induce a directed stream in the contents ofsaid container, and a plate located in'the path of such stream, andhaving a multiplicity of lugs arranged in staggere relation to eachother.

6. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a container, agitatingmeans therein adapted to induce a directed stream in the contents ofsaid container, and a plate located in the path of such stream, andhaving a multiplicity of lugs arranged in staggered relation to eachother in a plurality of concentric series.

7. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a container, a shelltherein, a screw propeller in said shell adapted to induce a streamthrough said shell in the contents of said container, and a platelocated in the path of such stream atthe mouth of said shell, and havinga multiplicity of lugs arranlged in staggered relation to each other.

8. n an apparatus of the character set forth, a container, a shelltherein, a screw of said container, a plate located in the path of suchstream at the mouth of said shell and having a multiplicity of lugsarranged in staggered relation to each other, and vanes in said shelladapted to counteract the rotation of such stream due to the actionofsaid .propeller.

9. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a container, a shelltherein disposed vertically and axially thereof, a horizontally disposedscrew propeller arrangedaxially within said shell, spirally disposedvanes on the interior of said shell, a plate separated from and belowsaid shell and disposed at a right angle to the axial line of thelatter, and a multiplicity of vertical lugs on said plate, arranged instaggered relation to each other in a plurality of concentric series.

10. The apparatus described'comprising a container, a jacket inclosingsaid container and adapted to permit the circulation of mediumstherethrough for heating or cooling the contents of said container, anaxially located vertically disposed shell in saidcontainer, ahorizontally disposed screw propeller arranged axially within saidshell, spirally disposed vanes on the interior of said shell, aplateseparated from and below said shell and disposed at a right angle to theaxial line of the latter,"'and a multiplicity of vertical lugs on saidplate arranged in staggered relation to each other in a plustream toswirl abruptly changing the direction of and subdividing such stream,and causing such subdivisions to follow devious and impeded paths.

' 12. In an emulsifier, a container, a vertically disposed hollow memberwithin the same, a propeller in said member, a plurality of bafllesbeneath said member, and means between said baflles and propeller tocounteract thetendency of the stream of liquid passing "through saidmember to ro-- tate or swirl.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I afiix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses.

